Elijah’s POV
I stood by the floor–to–ceiling windows of my office on the top floor, looking down at the park below. where several kids were playing happily. It reminded me of when things were so simple and I could just be happy and carefree with Sabrina.
Sighing, I sank back into my leather executive chair and let it swivel as my thoughts went back to my conaversation with Sophia.
Immediately, I called my assistant Connor to my office.
“Connor, I need you to look into Craig. Something about him doesn’t sit right with me,” I said, getting straight to the p
“Of course. I’ll get on it immediately,” Connor replied without hesitation. That’s one of the reasons I valued him so much. He never questioned my instincts.
“And there’s something else,” I continued, glancing at the clock on my desk. “I need you to get a copy. of Julia and Sophia’s design from Trevis. I want to review them closely.”
“Understood. I’ll have it to you by the end of the day, Connor promised.
“Thanks. I appreciate it,” I said, about to dismiss him. But a thought nagged at the back of r
it any longer. “Wait, Connor. There’s one more thing.” couldn’t ignor
“Yes?” he responded, his curiosity piqued.
mind. I
“I need you to investigate Julia,” I said, my voice dropping to a near whisper. “Something about her seems… off. She’s so different from the Sabrina I knew as a child. I need you to do this quietly. I don’t want Chris to know. Not yet.”
Connor was silent for a moment, likely processing the request. “I understand. I’ll be discreet.”
“Good. I’m counting on you.”
I sat in my office for a long time, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the polished wooden desk. The weight of my earlier argument with Sophia pressed heavily on my mind. I couldn’t shake the image of her standing there, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, her lips trembling as she tried to keep it together. The look of hurt and betrayal etched on her face was something I had promised myself years ago never to cause again.
Yet, here I am, the source of her pain, I thought bitterly.
I leaned back in my chair, running a hand through my hair in frustration. It wasn’t just what I said, it was how I said it. The anger, the frustration, all of it had come out wrong. I had let my emotions get the best of me, and Sophia bore the brunt of it.
My ex–wife had changed over the years, becoming more confident, more sure of herself, and undeniably on the path to greatness in her career. She was shining, and I should have been there. supporting her, not questioning her integrity.
But there was something about her unwavering trust in Craig that ignited a fury within me. She placed so much faith in him, it blinded her to the potential deceit around her. And now, with Julia’s accusations of plagiarism hanging in the air, Sophia’s integrity was on the line.
She’s right… I don’t know if Sabrina is still the same. Heck, I don’t even know if Julia really is Sabrina, despite the DNA results. All I’m sure of is that I know Sophia very well, and she wasn’t capable of such dishonesty.
No, the real issue was between Julia and Craig. I could see it clearly, yet I had lashed out at Sophia, the one person who deserved my support.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my thoughts. I had work to do, but my mind was a whirlwind of guilt and regret. My laptop screen stared back at me, the cursor blinking impatiently, but I couldn’t focus.
All I could think about was Sophia, the way her eyes had pleaded with me to understand, to trust her. And I did trust her. I knew her heart, and her dedication. She would never compromise her principles.
I was so out of it that I eventually decided to go down to the park for a moment. I need to clear my head.
I found myself walking slowly along one of the jogging paths, trying to calm down. Suddenly, I came across this little girl who looked very familiar. I immediately knew that she was the one I v at the restaurant the other day, the one who had an uncanny resemblance to Sophial
Wow, even here, she still seems to haunt me…
The lovely little girl seemed to recognize me, pointing and smiling happily. I looked around and didn’t notice any babysitter around. So I knelt with concern and said, “Hi. Who are you with?”
With innocent eyes, she answered, “One uncle.”
“Where is he?”
“Uh… don’t know.”
I began to worry. I couldn’t just leave her alone. “Okay, how about we play a little game?” I suggested, trying to keep my tone light. “I’ll stay with you until your uncle comes back. How does that sound?”
“Uhm… Okay…” she said hesitantly. “Your name?”
That made me smile a little bit. “I’m Elijah. And I remember that your name is Reese.”
Her face lit up. “Right! Reese!” She pointed to herself,
“What a beautiful name,” I said. She grinned at me and then went off to run and play. I kept a close eye on her, checking around from time to time and wondering where her uncle was.
After a while, I saw her running so fast that she stumbled and fell on the grass. I hurried over and took her in my arms, checking for any wounds. “Reese, are you okay?”
To my surprise, she smiled at me and kissed my cheek. “Don’t worry, Uncle Elijah. When mommy’s sad, I kiss her. You… sad… So I kiss you. Soon you’ll be happy!”
My eyes widened, but her words made me smile.
Suddenly, at that moment, Reese stood up and point waving with a big smile on her pretty face.
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